Freeze Quantity
The largest quantity the exchange accepts in a single F&O order — the ceiling that caps how many lots one order can carry.
Working out maximum lots per order
- The formula
- Freeze quantity ÷ lot sizegives maximum lots in one order
- NIFTY 50
- 1,755 units≈ 27 lots per order at a lot size of 65
- BANK NIFTY
- 600 units≈ 20 lots per order at a lot size of 30
- SENSEX
- 1,000 units≈ 50 lots per order at a lot size of 20
- Orders per position
- Unlimitedsplit across as many orders as needed
NSE and BSE review freeze quantities quarterly and publish them by circular, and the lot sizes they divide into move on their own schedule — so treat the unit figures here as the recent published values rather than permanent ones, and check the exchange's current circular before sizing a large order. The formula is the durable part.
Where lot size sets the smallest position you can take, freeze quantity sets the largest single order the exchange will accept. Send more than it in one order and the order is rejected outright rather than partially filled — the exchange is not sizing your position down for you. The limit exists to keep a single fat-fingered or outsized order from tearing through the order book, and it applies per order, not per day or per position: a trader who wants more than the cap simply splits the requirement across several orders, which is routine and entirely permitted.
The practical number most traders actually want is the maximum number of lots per order, and that is just the freeze quantity divided by the current lot size. Because both figures are revised by the exchange — freeze quantities are reviewed quarterly, lot sizes whenever notional value drifts outside SEBI's band — that maximum moves over time even when neither number is individually dramatic, which is why a lots-per-order figure quoted in an older article is rarely still correct.
Example: with a NIFTY freeze quantity of 1,755 units against a lot size of 65, one order can carry at most 27 lots. A trader wanting 40 lots is not blocked from the position — they place 27 lots in one order and 13 in a second, and the exchange treats the result as a single 40-lot position.
Frequently asked
How many lots of NIFTY can I buy in one order?
Divide the exchange's freeze quantity by the current lot size. At a freeze quantity of 1,755 units and a lot size of 65, that is 27 lots in a single order. Wanting more than that is not a problem — you split the quantity across multiple orders and the exchange treats the result as one position.
What happens if I exceed the freeze quantity?
The order is rejected. The exchange does not fill it partially or scale it down to the limit, so an oversized order simply fails and has to be resubmitted as smaller ones.
Is freeze quantity a limit on my total position?
No. It caps a single order, not your holdings. There is no restriction on how many orders you place, so the freeze quantity constrains how you enter a large position rather than how large that position can be.
What is the difference between freeze quantity and lot size?
Lot size is the floor — the smallest tradeable unit and the multiplier on one contract. Freeze quantity is the ceiling — the most units the exchange will accept in one order. Every order you place sits between the two.
Related terms
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